1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with access doors to provide entry to otherwise closed compartments such as the engine compartment of a vehicle. More particularly the invention is concerned with access doors which can be rotated into either an open position or a closed position. Still more particularly, the invention is concerned with a particular access door and the design therefor, which particular access door is fastenable in either of two stable positions, one corresponding to the door being closed and the other corresponding to the door being opened, under the impetus of biasing means. In specific embodiments of the invention the door may also be locked or otherwise fastened in it's closed position.
2. Prior Art
It is well known to provide any number of movable panels for entry into otherwise closed compartments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,148 and U.S. Design Patent No. 203,620, both commonly assigned herewith disclose access panels leading to the interior of an engine compartment of a vehicle. Often, the prior art access doors have required the fastening or unfastening of a number of bolts or the like to allow their removal thereby providing access to the interior of a compartment such as the engine compartment of a vehicle. Some access panels of the prior art have at times not provided sufficiently safe means for fastening them closed whereby unauthorized persons in the vicinity of such vehicles have been able to obtain access to the interior of the engine compartment or other compartments thereof thereby causing damage either to themselves or to the vehicle.
The present invention is concerned with a particularly structured access door which allows quick entry into a compartment such as the engine compartment of a vehicle, which is biased to be stably positionable in either an open or closed position and in which in certain preferred embodiments of the invention can be securely fastened to prevent opening thereof by unauthorized persons.